On Tuesday, in-form Arsenal went to Monaco after losing the first leg of their round of 16 Champions League tie 3-1 and won 2-0 in France, but went out on the away goals rule.

Back in the Barclays Premier League the Gunners sit in third place, just a point behind second-placed Manchester City, but still seven points adrift of leaders Chelsea, who also have a game in hand.

The Gunners are in a rich vein of form in the league; they have taken maximum points from their last five games while also winning eight of their last nine. A sixth straight win would represent Arsenal's best league run for three years, when they won seven in a row between February and March 2012.

They go to the north east having scored 23 away goals; only Chelsea (30) and Manchester City (31) have more on the road.

They face a Newcastle side with just two wins in their last 10 in the Premier League and with five defeats at home. They are also missing the banned Papiss Cisse and Fabricio Colocinni.